Hmmm ... I shouldn't ....
So I'm on a roll. I tried to stay
miles clear of this topic, but then I made the mistake of going ahead and trying to read it.
The following remarks are intended for theists and atheists alike who have attended the disputes of the past several months through Sciforums' religious forum. It is directed primarily at those atheists:
• People have had a few negative things to say about our topic poster
Futurist. Oh, well. While such scorn is discouraging, even I am taken aback by the ludicrous topic assertion. 'Nuff said about that.
•_But take a look at it. People are going to argue whatever point they find, and meanwhile, many other debates of more consequence to, say, an atheist's life, are taking place both at Sciforums and in the world.
• Toward that end, I find it striking that people should choose to even argue this topic at all. As long as we continue to award argumentative legitimacy to this kind of simple theology, we will be awarding argumentative legitimacy to simple theology.
You know, even I think the topic is dumb, but hostile responses to an inadequate topic post of such subject matter doesn't do much to demonstrate the intellectual alternatives.
We cannot force people with IQ's so low as to be a walking hazard to get smarter. But we can, by leaving such feeble ideas to rot in their own funk and encouraging a higher standard, help provide answers that cause the lowly intellect to raise itself. Are you going to help the flowers grow by stomping on them?
IQ The ratio of tested mental age to chronological age, usually expressed as a quotient multiplied by 100. (American Heritage Dictionary)
A little compassion can help the mind overcome the subjective factors and encourage mental growth.
Seems easy enough to me. And, technically, it produces a better effect than scorn. It's a better investment all around to compassionately seek a higher intellectual standard.
Why expend more energy achieving a lesser result?
thanx,
Tiassa